Title: Active mlearning opportunities offered by a prototype template of a new web-based SBLi™ interface for smartphones

Authors: Hardy Ernst; John Harrison

Addresses: School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. ' School of Journalism and Communication, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Abstract: This paper introduces a new smartphone interface that allows students to access existing scenario-based learning activities on the SBLi™ platform (www.sblinteractive.org). Leveraging student-owned technology for academic benefit, the SBLi™ smartphone interface offers high impact, anywhere anytime, active learning opportunities. Given a choice, about a third of students accessed the scenario-based learning activities via mobile devices. We found no differences in student attainment of learning outcomes based on summative assessment between the desktop SBLi™ version and SBLi™ mobile version. However, most students owning smartphones do not use it for mobile learning, yet many welcome scenario-based mobile learning applications. Ease of usage and navigability of mobile learning applications are vital.

Keywords: mlearning; mobile learning; biomedical sciences; emerging mobile technologies; SBLi; smartphone interfaces; smartphones; mobile phones; universities; cell phones; University of Queensland; Australia; higher education; interactive learning platforms; scenario-based learning platforms; prototypes; prototype templates; web-based interfaces; student-owned technologies; academic benefits; technology leverage; high impact opportunities; anywhere anytime opportunities; active learning; student attainment; learning outcomes; summative assessments; desktop computers; ease of usage; navigability; m-learning; online learning; e-learning; electronic learning; online learning; internet; world wide web.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMLO.2012.046878

International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 2012 Vol.6 No.1, pp.1 - 7

Published online: 23 Dec 2014 *

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